The Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund and Ocean Champions are defending U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono’s call for a national renewable energy standard against attacks from former Gov. Linda Lingle, Hirono’s Republican opponent for U.S. Senate.

Lingle, who like the Democrat Hirono is an advocate for renewable energy, has said Hirono’s national standard is an unnecessary federal mandate that shows the congresswoman’s “fundamental lack of knowledge” about energy policy. Hawaii is among 30 states that have already set renewable energy standards.

The environmental groups not only side with Hirono on a national standard, but they also criticize Lingle for her support for expanded domestic oil and natural gas drilling.

“Rather than recycling her party leadership’s tired, Washington talking points on oil drilling, Linda Lingle would be wise to join Mazie Hirono and the people of Hawaii in taking a more responsible and renewable approach to America’s energy future,” Robert Harris, the director of the Sierra Club’s Hawaii chapter, said in a statement.

*Update: Retired Maj. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee, Lingle’s campaign manager, said the environmental groups are not giving Lingle the credit she is due for helping to establish the state’s energy goals.

It looks like Mazie Hirono’s campaign has reached that time when they encourage surrogates to ‘say anything’ in order to win. Recent statements by surrogates for the Hirono campaign are made with blatant disregard for the facts and for the organizations’ own history with Governor Lingle.

Despite the fact that these organizations have previously praised Governor Lingle’s Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, now that it is campaign season, the groups have taken political pot shots and ignored the facts.

7 Responses to “Renewable”

Darned puzzling Obama’s and the entirety of the Dem’ party’s view on the whole energy issue. Um, hello . . . coal is still a viable (was that coal workers [and, by association, their union] standing behind Romney a few weeks ago? Yeah, that was them) source of energy in addition to many other resources. Yet Obama and the Dems want to focus on energy sources romanticized in children’s books from countries famous for yodelling.

Seen how much geographical space windmills need? Besides that, man, the focus on ONE energy source. And, gee, what happened to all those green (a Grease calls ‘em “Soylent Green) jobs in a country w/high unemployment? Is the overreaching windmill going to go into the same inescapable hole that [soylent] green jobs fell into?

See 2016: Obama’s America and you’ll see how this current Administration’s oddly halting drilling in the U.S.A., but, are A-OK with drilling by surrounding countries. Sad.

I think the people of Hawaii want to protect our `aina at home and also want lower gas prices and HECO bills. Sierra Club is disingenuous to say that Lingle hasn’t taken a “renewable approach to American’s energy.” She’s the one who put talk to action with the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative. Hirono was in the Leg forever and was LG for 8 years while Hawaii became MORE dependent on fossil fuel sources!

The simple fact is, we need to explore all domestic energy options, which is what we’re doing here. We just don’t happen to have oil, gas or coal. Every state has their own sources of energy, and it’s incumbent upon them to develop what works for their locality.

Lastly, since when are environmental protection groups the braintrust on energy energy policy?

Regarding the coal miners who “stood behind” Mitt Romney, they were required by their Republican employer to be there:

“Several miners at Murray Energy’s Century coal mine in Beallsville, Ohio, contacted a nearby morning talk radio host, David Blomquist, over the last two weeks to say that they were forced to attend an Aug. 14 rally for Romney at the mine. Murray closed the mine the day of the rally, saying it was necessary for security and safety, then docked miners the day’s pay. Asked by WWVA radio’s Blomquist about the allegations on Monday’s show, Murray chief operating officer Robert Moore said: ‘Attendance was mandatory but no one was forced to attend the event.’”

I love that employer DoubleSpeak: ‘Attendance was mandatory but no one was forced to attend the event.”

Heh, fair enough. Though, I think a Grease didn’t doubt the reason or need for those coal workers (yes, in more ways than one) to be there. Heck, coal workers BETTER want to stand by (or in back of) Romney if they wanna keep doing what they do.

Appearance of such employees during election time occurs for both parties. You don’t think all those Hawaii state teachers and/or gov’ment workers necessarily want to be there (election time) waving signs in the hot sun during the summer, do you? But, the Democratic Combine (whoops, did a Grease just say that?) seems to have them right then and there during such seasons. And isn’t it assumed they will be[tter be] there (not for all of ‘em, admittedly . . . but, there are a lot of ‘em) and, worst of all, for no pay and no getting to tell their kids later that evening, “there daddy on TV” as a cheap, but fun, with regard to the photo’ op. Just something a lit-tle bit more sinister when it comes to gov’ment workers feeling the need to do campaign stuff (I mean, how many state workers visibly engage in local Republican election efforts. REALLY? If I can answer a question before it’s asked. THAT many? I hav to disagree).

I don’t think I doubted the need for those workers to be there — I mean, let’s face it: ANY photo where a candidate’s at a plant or other workplace, yes, indeed, almost always results in workers there standing in the background of the candidate. And it HAS to be a planned, arranged thing (read: the respective campaign organizer for the op’ might want a bearded guy more to the right-hand side of the candidate; we need 3 guys wearing sunglasses, not all of them). Like school picture — photog’ took time to situate ya’ll and your pals ‘fore snapping the pic’.

The point here is . . . Romney can get a bunch of these photo/news ops with coal, oil, etc. workers (Romney camp considers all energy sources), while The President might only end up (if he doesn’t want to p’ off his “clean energy” long-haired/smelly ponytail types) standing in front of . . . windmills. Oh, and algae, if his campaign can find a palatable way to present that to the viewing audience, yes? Who’s the alternative energy candidate, now?

We own this country. — Clint Eastwood, Republican National Convention, 8/30/2012.